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Classic Toys: With Mindstorms Lego gets robotic

by James

Lego Mindstorms, a classic toy which gives kids a future

With the computer age, Lego knew it had to adapt or die. Not that kids would stop loving the cute plastic brick, heavens no. They would just want to do even more and more with what they have. Do being able to add gears, wheels, and electric motors, along with a programmable controller and suddenly kids don’t have just a toy, they have their own robot.

Originally created at the Media Lab of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Mindstorms has as it’s roots the Brick Logo, a programmable interface which used a rudimentary programming language called LEGOsheets. The original kit contained two motors and two sensors as well as a light sensor. As Mindstorms grew in sophistication, more parts were needed. Soon, sensors and motors added wheels, claws, and just about anything else a child can imagine to create his robot.

And the cost isn’t cheap. The current Mindstorms kit weighs in at $370. But with the ability to program a Mindstorm robot to do just about anything, may put a child on a lifelong pursuit of science and robotics. And there’s nothing better than at toy that teaches a child a lifestyle. And that’s what makes it a classic toy.